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Neurotoxins are chemicals that cause damage to the cells of the brain and nervous system, and, in addition to temporary symptoms, can lead to chronic disease. Neuron bundles in the brain transmit information through conducting electrical energy. When… Continua a leggere →

Xenoestrogens are synthetic chemicals that enter the body and mimic estrogen. There are many sources of xenoestrogens, from air pollution, plastics, and water pollution. This article will cover the common estrogenic compounds found in personal care / cosmetic items. (You can look forward to my expanded series on xenoestrogens from other sources soon.)

Estrogen receptors are complex molecules within certain cells in our bodies. They have a complex shape that is designed to accept estrogen—just like a lock and key.Estrogen receptor molecule

Estradiol, a form of natural estrogenEstrogen receptors are designed to accept estrogen molecules. When estrogen locks in to a receptor, certain things happen—particular cells are spurred to grow and divide, other levels of hormones are signaled to release. It’s a very complex process that affects many parts of our body, the heart, our bones, as well as our reproductive organs (men too!) When estrogen has done its job in the receptor, it’s released and metabolized (broken down) and leaves the body.

When a xenoestrogen enters the body, it’s different. Because these chemicals are similar in shape to estrogen, it locks in to these receptors–but not quite correctly. Because they’re shaped differently, the all of the chemical bonds aren’t formed correctly. The receptors are stimulated in negative ways, creating cells where they shouldn’t be. This can lead to reproductive disorders such as:Anovulatory Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding(having a period without ovulating)

Uterine Fibroids

Ovarian Cysts

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Endometriosis

Adenomyosis

Reproductive cancers, uterine, ovarian, breast, etc.

There are a number of xenoestrogens in personal care products.One is a group of chemicals that you’ve probably heard of, parabens. They’re listed on labels as methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, etc. Parabens have been studied numerous times and have been found to act estrogenically in cells, and to accumulate in breast cancer tissue. They are used in a wide variety of products as a preservative.

Phthalates—phthalates are a very harmful group of synthetic chemicals that can mimic estrogen. The problem is that phthalates aren’t usually listed in the ingredients list—they’re used as fragrance compounds, so whenever you see the listing for “fragrance” you don’t really know what it is. There are over 3000 different chemicals used in fragrances, and many of them are phthalates.

Aluminum chlorohydrate is another one—it’s an anti-perspirant compound that acts like estrogen. This is especially important to avoid since it’s a compound you’re applying, leaving on your skin in a very delicate area right by your breast tissue.

Triclosan is also a common xenoestrogen. Triclosan is a compound used in hand sanitizers and anti-bacterial hand soaps. It has become a major problem because so many people are using these anti-bacterial soaps and washing them down the drain. Downstream the waters become polluted with triclosan, which then acts like estrogen in aquatic life—then you have fish and frogs and other animals that die off because they can’t reproduce. We think that we need these antibacterial agents, but we don’t. It’s not about killing the bacteria, but washing it away. Triclosan only kills 99.9% of bacteria–that .1% ends up surviving and getting stronger. We then have more resistant strains of bacteria that lead to higher incidence of staph infections in hospitals, schools, and even homes.

Suspected Xenoestrogens

Phenoxyethanol has not been studied much as a xenoestrogen, but its chemical structure definitely shows potential to acting estrogenically.

Salicylic acid, commonly used as an anti-aging or anti-acne treatment, is a suspected xenoestrogen.

Our skin is our body’s largest organ and is highly absorbent. What we put ON our bodies ends up IN our bodies. Chemicals in personal care products can and do affect our health, from skin issues, allergies, asthma, headaches, hormonal imbalances, and even increased cancer risk. The big companies like to tell us that “it’s just a small amount” so the chemicals pose no risk, but think about everything you use every day–shampoo, body wash, face wash, moisturizier, body lotion, makeup, hair products–this is multiple daily exposure, and the toxic load can build up. Over the years I’ve made “top five” or “top ten” lists about which chemicals to avoid, but there are just so many! Today, I’ve narrowed it down to five major risk categories.

ETHOXYLATED COMPOUNDS

Ethoxylated compounds are synthetic chemicals created using the known carcinogen ethylene oxide. Chemical manufacturers are able to create synthetic chemicals that have skin-conditioning or cleansing products similar to oils, soaps, and natural butters but at a much cheaper price. Many times these chemicals are made out of cheap petroleum or animal by-products. These are the parts of the animals from the bottom of the barrel, literally, that no one wants. First, they take out the meat that they sell to people, then they take the lesser cuts and use them for hot dogs and other low-grade meats. Then, the pet-food companies have their pick. The leftover sludge of fats and cartilage is then processed and sold to cosmetic companies to make ingredients like stearic acid and cetearyl alcohol.

So, where does ethylene oxide come in to play? Well, companies can turn a fatty acid like stearic acid in to an emulsifier, steareth-20, which is able to combine water and oil. Using the ethoxylation process, chemists can design chemicals that are able to do things that they otherwise would be unable to do.

The problem with the ethoxylation process is that trace amounts of ethylene oxide can remain in the product. Ethylene oxide is a known carcinogen, and can be absorbed by the body through the skin. Other compounds like sodium lauryl sulfate and propylene glycol are penetration enhancers, and break down the protective barrier of skin, delivering these carcinogenic chemicals further in to the skin and bloodstream.

Additionally, the ethoxylation process can create 1,4-dioxane, also a known carcinogen.

Recently a study done by the State of California and the Organic Consumers Association found that a number of personal care products that were supposedly “natural” contained higher than acceptable levels of 1,4-dioxane from ethoxylated compounds. In fact, once the state of California found out about the contamination, it sued the companies that it had tested. Every product sold in California that contains a carcinogen must have a warning label. The brands were forced to reformulate and most of them fixed the contamination problem. But this was only a handful of “natural” companies—the big brands have gone untested and unregulated for 1,4-dioxane contamination.

How to spot an ethoxylated compound

There are three easy ways to spot an ethoxylated compound. First is looking out for “PEG.” PEG stands for polyethylene glycol. Polyethylene Glycol is used in cosmetics as a skin conditioner and emulsifier. It usually is followed by a number, reading PEG-200. The number following the PEG is the number of moles (a unit of measure in chemistry) that the glycol has been treated with. So PEG-40 is polyethylene glycol treated with ethylene oxide 40 times. The higher the number, the more ethylene oxide

Second, look for the suffix “eth.” Sodium laureth sulfate or ceteareth-20 are two examples. The “eth” indicates it has been treated with ethylene oxide.

Third, look for dashes followed by a number, as in steareth-20.

One last ingredient to avoid: “vegetable emulsifying wax.” This is a blend of fatty acids and polysorbate 60 and steareth-20, which are ethoxylated compounds.

I painted both trolleys in Italian red colour “Rosso Segnali” and then glued to the roof of the loco with thick CA. The loco itself has been weathered with a wash of dark brown and rust colours.Ho dipinto i pantografi di color “Rosso Segnali” e li ho i… Continua a leggere →